catholicculture.org (12/01), recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Pope John Paul II, according to reliable reports in Rome. The final approval of the miracle would fulfill all the conditions for the beatification of the late Polish Pontiff.

The Vatican has not offered any official comment on the report. The decisions of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints are not made public until they gain the Pope’s approval.

Cardinal Angelo Amato, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, will meet soon with Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope’s approval would make the decision official, and the beatification ceremony could be scheduled for later this year.

The members of the Congregation met on January 11 to vote on the reported miracle, in which a French nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, was inexplicably healed from Parkinson’s disease. Teams of theologians and medical experts had already investigated the case and reported that it appeared to be miraculous.

The beatification of Pope John Paul II would draw huge crowds to Rome, and Vatican officials would probably want ample time to plan the ceremony. A beatification in October seems likely-- although a ceremony in April, at around the 5th anniversary of the death of John Paul II, cannot be ruled out.